Top 10 Fittest Cities in The U.S.
What makes a city fit? The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2019 American Fitness Index researched and ranked the 100 largest cities in the United States and used various indicators to assess a city's overall fitness. The index takes into account individual and community health factors, including how often residents exercise and their access to parks, farmers markets, and recreation centers.
Here's the scoop on the top 10 U.S. cities that made the list and what makes them so fit.
10. Portland, OR
​
12% of its residents walk or bike to work. Portland also ranked #2 for bike score (which calculates bikeability using bike lanes, hills, connectivity, and bicycle mode share).
9. Denver, CO
​
The city clocks in at #9 with some pretty amazing statistics. Denver has the fifth-lowest rate of heart disease, and the 10th lowest rate of high blood pressure in the nation.
​
8. Irvine, CA
​
One thing is for sure, the residents of Irvine care about their health. 83% of residents have exercised in the past 30 days, and 25% of those residents met the guidelines for aerobic activity set by the Centers for Disease Control.
7. St. Paul, MN
​
Can you smell that fresh air? St. Paul made the top 10 list for cities with the best air quality. The city also ranks #8 for the lowest rates of high blood pressure.
6. Washington D.C.
​
Our nation's capital made the list! The city boasts easily accessible farmers markets and ranks #1 for its residents eating three plus vegetables per day. The city also ranked #1 for the percentage of its residents that walk or bike to work (17.7%).
5. Madison, WI
​
You know what they say, an apple per day keeps the doctor away. Madison ranks #1 for its residents eating at least two fruits per day, and is #3 for accessibility to farmers markets.
4. San Francisco, CA
​
A good way to get in daily exercise is to walk to work! San Francisco ranks #3 for walk score and #4 for use of public transportation. The city also ranks #1 for parks within a 10-minute walk.
3. Minneapolis, MN
​
If you love biking, you might want to consider moving here. The city is ranked #1 for bikeability. Minneapolis also made the list for parks within a 10-minute walk and having the third lowest rate for blood pressure in the country.
​
2. Seattle, WA
​
No surprise here! Seattle ranks #3 for personal health rank & score and #9 for community/environment rank and score. The city also made the list for bike score, coming in at #6.
​
1. Arlington, VA
​
The city ranks #1 for any exercise, aerobic and strengthening activities, personal health rank and score, and community/environment rank and score. It's no wonder Arlington is the fittest city in the U.S., with its residents putting a huge emphasis on personal health.